


The Sting of the Past

by SunriseRose1023



Series: When You Come Back To Me Again [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Aftermath of Violence, Blood, Blood and Violence, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Gen, Implied/Referenced Torture, Kidnapping, Rescue, Rescue Missions, Revelations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-20
Updated: 2019-02-20
Packaged: 2019-10-31 22:52:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17858534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunriseRose1023/pseuds/SunriseRose1023
Summary: Steve and a team of the Avengers come to rescue you, but the confrontation ends in a way no one saw coming.





	The Sting of the Past

Steve sat at the table, staring towards the window, slowly moving the chair he was sitting in from side-to-side. Natasha was sitting on one side of him, Sam on the other. Wanda was across from them, and as usual, Vision was close by her. Tony was pacing in front of the room, and Natasha was watching him, waiting for the inevitable. Tony finally stopped, turning and laying his hands on the table across from Steve, speaking slowly and deliberately.

“ _What_ were you thinking?”  
“Tony…”

He ignored Natasha, throwing his hands out as he spoke.

“Thaddeus Ross’ daughter? And you—you didn’t think you needed to tell  _any_ of us?”

Steve lifted his head.

“Like you don’t have any secrets from the rest of us?”

Tony stopped at that, looking to Natasha. She raised her eyebrows and stared down at the tabletop. Tony huffed out a breath.

“Ross’ daughter, Steve! How could you—“  
“You can’t help who you fall in love with, Tony.”

Everyone glanced at Wanda, her cheeks flushing as she looked down at her hands. Tony sighed, shaking his head, running a hand down his face. Vision glanced towards the door as Sam reached over, giving Steve’s shoulder a squeeze. Steve closed his eyes, and Natasha picked up a clicker, transforming the wall behind Wanda to a screen that everyone turned to face. Steve sucked in a breath when a face appeared on the screen.

“Y/N Ross. Last known whereabouts were the small shop she owns.”

Natasha clicked to the next image, of the destroyed storefront. Vision stood up, and Natasha continued speaking.

“The store is completely destroyed. How it’s still standing is honestly a mystery to me, because it—“  
“Has anyone spoken with Banner?”

They all looked to Tony. Natasha cleared her throat.

“Last sighting was Africa.”  
“Last  _sighting_? What do you mean ‘last sighting?’ We agreed to have eyes on him at all times.”  
“We have a visitor.”

Everyone looked to Vision. A knock sounded at the door, and Natasha clicked to hide the images on the screen, blending it back into the wall as the door opened. A woman stood there, worry evident in her blue eyes and the way she was biting her plump bottom lip. She lifted a hand to brush at her dark hair and Steve stood up, brows furrowing. The woman let out a breath when she saw him, stepping over to him and taking his hands.

“Captain, I’m Betty Ross, Y/N’s sister.”

Glances were exchanged throughout the room, and Betty shook her head.

“Something’s happened. I—I met her for lunch today, but I—I can’t get in touch with her now. I went to the store and it …”

She shook her head, tears filling her icy blue eyes.

“Excuse me. Betty?”

She looked to Natasha, who stood to her feet.

“Why did you come to us?”

Betty swallowed.

“Because you—you’re the Avengers.”  
“Why else?”

She glanced around, meeting Steve’s eyes.

“Because the damage to her store was …”

She shook her head, one tear slipping down her cheek.

“I know he’d never hurt me, but…”  
“Who?”

Betty swallowed again, looking down when Steve squeezed her hands. She closed her eyes, speaking softly.

“I spoke to him when I was in Paris recently. He was in Morocco. He couldn’t … I don’t think he could …”

Tony closed his eyes, rubbing a hand over his mouth. The phone in the middle of the table began to ring and Rhodey stepped into the room.

“General—“

He glanced around, noting the people in the room. He cleared his throat, nodding to Tony.

“The Secretary is on line two. It’s urgent.”

Tony blew out a breath, pressing a button on the phone.

“Mr. Secretary.”  
 _“Stark. We have a situation.”_  
“That’s an understatement.”

Tony coughed to cover Rhodey’s mutter.

“What, uh … what kind of situation, sir?”  
 _“Emil Blonsky has escaped from prison.”_  
“Oh god.”

Steve ushered a suddenly pale Betty to a chair before her knees gave out. She covered her mouth with a hand, shaking her head. Tony blinked before he went back to the phone.

“Who?”  
 _“Emil Blonsky. He’s an old colleague of mine that …”_

Tony sat in a chair, dragging a hand over his face.

“Can you do me a favor, Mr. Secretary? Quit burying the lead. Who’s Blonsky? What has he done? Why are you telling us about him?”  
 _“Do you remember what occurred in New York in 2008?”_

Tony shrugged his shoulders as he shook his head.

“Not ringing a bell.”  
 _“Specifically, Harlem?”_

Tony slowly closed his eyes. Steve looked around the room, watching as recognition lit Natasha’s face. Steve shook his head, looking down as Betty took hold of his hand again and gave it a tug. Steve knelt down and Betty murmured to him as Tony spoke again.

“Quick question: how the hell did he escape?”  
 _“We believe he had help.”_  
“Gamma radiation-esque help?”

Natasha avoided Tony’s glance her way, but they both turned to the phone when the Secretary’s voice came through the line.

_“No, former Special Forces-esque help.”_

Steve lifted his head as Tony covered his face with his hands and groaned. He laid his hands on the table.

“Ross, you do a fucking excellent job of screwing the pooch. We’ll take it from here, thank you.”  
 _“Now listen here, Stark—“_

Tony hung up the phone, rubbing a hand over his eyes as Rhodey crossed his arms over his chest.

“You know he’s probably on his way here now, right?”

Tony shrugged his shoulders, leaning back in his chair, propping his feet on the table. Natasha rolled her eyes as Tony leaned his head back and closed his eyes and Sam cleared his throat as he leaned forward, tapping on the table.

“Someone want to fill me in on this Blonsky character?”

Natasha nodded to Sam before she clicked the screen back into view. She tapped on a keyboard and a video appeared on the screen. No one said anything while the video played, but when Natasha stopped it, Tony sighed.

“This was before all my …”

He tapped the reactor in his chest and Natasha nodded.

“Steve was still asleep. I was with S.H.I.E.L.D.”  
“I was in Afghanistan.”  
“I was being tortured.”

Everyone went quiet at Sam and Wanda’s statements. Betty cleared her throat, standing to her feet.

“I was there.”

She walked to the screen, gently laying her fingertips against it.

“Blonsky forced Bruce into fighting him. He went after me, and Bruce saved me.”

She shook her head.

“But Y/N was at college. She never interacted with Blonsky. They never even met. She’s barely met Bruce.”

Natasha glanced away as Betty continued.

“The damage to her store…”

Natasha clicked the image on the screen and Betty sucked in a breath. Betty nodded, shaky finger pointing at the photo.

“It was so reminiscent of Bru—the Hulk. But it would make sense that it was Blonsky.”

Sam shook his head, standing up.

“I’m sorry, I guess I’m just not getting this.”

Tony sighed.

“What happened to Banner to turn him into the Hulk was an accident. Blonsky had it done to himself on purpose.”

Sam slowly nodded as Betty reached for the screen, then lowered her hand.

“We called him the Abomination. Bruce had to become the Hulk to fight him, and they … they almost destroyed Harlem. It was almost as bad as the Battle of New York.”

Betty sighed, and Tony shook his head, stepping forward.

“Blonsky was taken into custody, put in cryo. He’s supposed to be under a 24-hour security detail. How the hell did he get out?”  
“Rumlow.”

Everyone glanced to Steve, who put his hands in his pockets and walked over to look out the window.

“That’s who the General meant when he said ‘former Special Forces.’ Brock’s back.”

Betty turned back from the photo on the screen and looked at Steve.

“Who is Brock … Rumlow?”

Natasha clicked a few keys on the keyboard and a new photo appeared on the screen. Sam shook his head.

“He survived that explosion?”

Tony waved a hand, and Natasha turned to Betty.

“He was a double agent in S.H.I.E.L.D.”  
“Tried to kill me.”

Betty looked back to Steve, who had his back to them. Natasha sighed.

“He tried to kill me, too.”

Steve nodded, and Natasha sighed again.

“When S.H.I.E.L.D. disbanded and we all went rogue, Rumlow came gunning for us.”  
“We fought, until a damn plane crashed into the building. I got away, thought he didn’t.”

Sam shrugged his shoulders, and Betty swallowed as she nodded, looking back to the picture on the screen.

“Okay, so… what does he want? Why would he help Blonsky escape?”  
“To get to me.”

All eyes turned to Steve, who continued to keep his back to them, looking out the window. Tony moved his head from side to side.

“I’ll bite. Why?”

Steve shrugged his shoulders.

“He hates me for everything that went down when S.H.I.E.L.D. fell.”  
“Not too shabby of a hypothesis.”

Steve rolled his eyes, and Betty shook her head.

“But why? Why would he take Y/N? She said no one knew about you two.”

Steve glanced at her over his shoulder.

“They didn’t.”

Natasha shook her head and Tony rubbed a hand down his face.

“Well, someone clearly did. Otherwise, why take her?”  
“Hang on a second.”

Tony looked to Sam, who murmured to Natasha, who clicked a few keys and brought up both Blonsky and Rumlow’s photos on the screen. Sam walked forward, crossing his arms over his chest. After a moment, he pointed to Blonsky.

“He’s got beef with the Secretary.”

Sam moved his hand to point at Rumlow.

“He’s got beef with Cap.”

Natasha brought up another picture, setting it in between the two men. Betty sucked in a breath and Sam pointed at the new photo.

“She’s the Secretary’s daughter and Cap’s girl. Taking her satisfies both of their agendas.”  
“Fuck.”

Tony sat in one of the chairs, covering his eyes with his hands. He tapped his foot on the floor, then lowered his hands.

“If we’re going up against these guys, we’re going to need backup.”  
“Well, Thor’s dealing with Loki again and Clint insists he’s really retired this time.”

Natasha smiled after she said that, then shook her head as the smile slid from her face.

“And Bruce won’t answer any calls.”

She flicked her eyes to Betty, saw the redness that appeared on her cheeks. Wanda cleared her throat, shrugging her shoulders when they looked her way.

“We can handle this.”  
“No.”

All eyes turned to Steve as he finally turned from his spot, facing them.

“This is my fight.”

A laugh bubbled from Natasha’s lips. Steve looked to her and she shook her head, moving her chair back from the table and crossed her legs.

“If you think for one second that we’re letting you face them alone…”  
“I’m not asking any of you to come with me.”  
“You seriously think you need to ask?”

Steve glanced to Sam, then blew out a breath.

“Rumlow wants me.”  
“And Blonsky wants the General, but you think we’re going to send him? Try not to be so stubborn for two damn seconds, would you?”

Steve huffed out a breath, crossing his arms over his chest. Natasha and Wanda rolled their eyes, and Betty glanced from the women to Steve. Tony stood to his feet, mirroring Steve’s body language, crossing his own arms over his chest. Steve raised an eyebrow, and Natasha shook her head, speaking under her breath.

“He doesn’t even realize he’s doing it.”

Steve narrowed his eyes at her, then looked back to Tony, who wiggled his shoulders.

“Not so intimidating when someone else hits you with it, is it?”

Steve’s arms fell by his sides and he turned away from Tony, squeezing his eyes shut. Tony grabbed his arm and laid a hand on his back, while Sam sprang up from the table and did the same thing on Steve’s other side.  Steve shook his head as they ushered him to one of the chairs.

“She—she was teasing me about that earlier. Saying that I-I was…”

He put his head in his hands and Natasha stood up, walking over to him and running her fingers through his hair.

“She’s going to be okay, Steve. We’ll get her back.”

He lifted his head, stormy blue staring up at her. Natasha swallowed, pushing a smile up. She nodded to him and Betty cleared her throat.

“Is there anything I can do?”

Tony straightened, shaking his head.

“You’ve done so much already.”

Betty laughed, tears coming to her eyes.

“Please don’t patronize me, Mr. Stark.”  
“I meant it sincerely.”

She nodded, sniffling, looking back to Steve.

“Bring her back.”

Steve swallowed, but gave her a nod. Betty held his eyes, then nodded once. She gathered her things and walked out of the room. When the door was closed behind her, after waiting for just a few heartbeats, Tony clapped his hands together.

“Alright, gang. Let’s get a plan together.”

_“So tell me about 1940.”_

_Steve smiled._

_“What do you want to know?”_

_You shrugged your shoulders, sliding your spoon around the side of the ice cream container Steve was balancing on the bent knee he was resting on the couch. He mirrored your actions with his own spoon on the other side of the container._

_“Tell me about life without all the technology.”_   
_“God, it was so much simpler.”_

_You nodded, watching as he slid the spoon between his lips. He swallowed, and you watched the muscles in his neck work, saw his Adam’s apple bob before he spoke._

_“Some things are better now. Medical care, for one. Not as many people die from polio.”_

_You smiled, nodding. Steve sighed._

_“But the media? All the TV, music, movies? Movies were a treat back then. The radio was all we had. All we could afford.”_

_He smiled as he pushed his spoon through the ice cream._

_“Ma used to love to listen to_ The Guiding Light. _”_  
 _“The soap opera?”_

_Steve shrugged._

_“I guess. It didn’t interest me the way it did Ma.”_

_You smiled._

_“I used to watch all the soaps. I had pneumonia when I was in junior high and couldn’t go to school for like a week. Not much to do except watch soaps during the day.”_  
 _“Did you like_ The Guiding Light _?”_

_You smiled._

_“I did. Your mom had good taste.”_

_Steve looked down at the ice cream container, a soft smile on his face. He transferred his spoon to his left hand, holding his right hand to you. You smiled, slipping your hand in his, sighing when his warm palm pressed to yours, his long fingers lacing together with yours._

_“You remind me of her, a little bit. She was gorgeous, and so are you. Her hair was strawberry blonde, but it was pretty like yours. She was kind and gentle, like you are.”_   
_“Steve.”_   
_“I miss her. Every day, I miss her a little more. But you … I don’t know. It doesn’t go away, and I don’t think it ever will, but you … you soothe me, as stupid as that sounds.”_

_You gave his hand a squeeze, and he looked up to you, worry crossing his features when he saw the tears in your eyes. You shook your head, sniffling._

_“It’s not stupid. It’s sweet. Very sweet. And you soothe me, too. You make me feel safe.”_

_You took your hand from his, taking the ice cream from his hands. You set it on the coffee table, then moved to crawl into his lap. Steve smiled, wrapping you in his arms, holding his hands against your back._

_“The ice cream’s going to melt.”_   
_“We can buy more.”_

_You looped your arms around his neck, leaning closer to him, gently pressing your lips to his. After a moment, he leaned his head back, looking into your eyes._

_“I’m not ready to …”_

_You nodded._

_“It’s okay. We don’t have to. I’m fine with waiting until you’re ready.”_

_Steve nodded._

_“Don’t give up on me.”_

_You gave a soft laugh._

_“Never, Cap.”_

_He smiled, taking your face in his warm hands, holding you gently as he brought his lips to yours again._

__

“Where are you?”

Steve turned his head from where he’d been looking out the window, letting his mind wander. Sam sat down beside him, letting out a breath as he adjusted his gear. After a moment of silence, Steve spoke low.

“I’m going to need you to watch me, Sam.”  
“What, like ‘watch your back?’ You don’t have to tell me that, Cap.”  
“No, I …”

Steve sighed.

“I mean when we get in there. When we find them. You’re going to have to watch me, because I … I’m not sure I won’t kill Rumlow on sight.”

Sam blinked, then coughed.

“Steve.”  
“I know what I’m saying.”

Steve turned his head, meeting Sam’s eyes.

“Can you do that for me, Sam?”

Sam just stared at him for a moment, then gave a solemn nod. Steve held his gaze for a moment, then nodded, looking down at his hands. Sam’s voice was easy, conversational, not at all accusatory when he spoke.

“Why didn’t you tell any of us about her?”

Steve sighed.

“I wanted to keep her separate from this life. I didn’t want her mixed up in this. I just … I needed someone who didn’t understand what it was like to work for S.H.I.E.L.D. or be in the military. Someone—“  
“Normal?”

Steve looked over his shoulder at Sam, then nodded. A smile spread over Sam’s face.

“So you chose the Secretary of State’s daughter? And—not just the Secretary of State, but  _General_ Thaddeus Ross’ daughter?”

Steve blinked.

“Maybe I didn’t think this through.”

Sam laughed, and Steve smiled, the first one in a while. He sighed, shaking his head.

“She has to be okay, Sam. If they’ve hurt her in any way…”  
“Easy.”

Steve huffed out a breath as Sam laid a hand on his shoulder.

“We’ll be there soon. We’ll have her back before the sun comes up.”

Steve nodded as Sam stood up, squeezing his shoulder before he walked away. Steve rubbed a hand over his face before he leaned forward, forearms on his knees. He clasped his hands together and, not for the first time since he boarded the jet, closed his eyes and began to pray.

_The bell above the door rang and you lifted your head from where you’d been sitting behind the counter, reading a book. You sat up, put a smile on your face and watched the customer come into view._

_“Hi there. Can I help you?”_

_The door jingled as it closed behind him, and he stepped forward. Your breath caught in your throat when his sapphire eyes met yours._

_Captain America._

_Captain America was in your store._

_You swallowed, getting to your feet, making yourself smile._

_“I’m Y/N Ross.”_

_You held out a hand and he stepped forward, clasping your hand in his._

_“Steve Rogers.”_

_Your smile widened slightly._

_“I know.”_

_He looked down, letting go of your hand, and you felt an immediate loss at the warmth his hand had bled into yours._

_“Can I help you find something, Captain Rogers?”_

_He met your eyes again._

_“I, uh … I’m not sure. Would it be okay if I just looked around a minute?”_   
_“Of course. Take your time. Just … holler if you need anything.”_

_Steve smiled at you, nodding before he stepped down one of the aisles. You sat back in your chair, putting your head in your hands. Nothing like making a fool of yourself in front of the most beautiful man you’d ever laid eyes on. You could feel your cheeks burning, and you shook your head before you lifted it again, tucking your hair behind your ears._

_“Miss Ross?”_

_You turned in the direction of his rich voice, and the smile on his face might have made your knees go weak if you hadn’t been sitting down. Steve motioned down one of the aisles._

_“Could you give me some information?”_

_You smiled._

_“Absolutely.”_

__

_“Do you drink coffee, Miss Ross?”_

_You smiled._

_“I do, but I prefer my coffee to taste as little like coffee as I can get it.”_

_Steve raised an eyebrow and you shrugged your shoulders._

_“I like frou-frou drinks. Hazelnut, French vanilla, even chocolate. Ooh, mint chocolate is my favorite, but that’s a Christmastime flavor.”_

_Steve shook his head, a smile on his face._

_“Would you … like to get coffee with me sometime?”_

_You swallowed._

_“I’d love to.”_

__

_The bell above the door jingled and you glanced that way, eyes widening when Steve stepped through the door, a cup of coffee in each hand. You smiled as he made his way to you, holding out one of the cups._

_“Hazelnut caramel macchiato. I hope you like it.”_

_You blinked, hand reaching to take the cup from him._

_“It’s actually my favorite.”_

_Steve smiled._

_“Really?”_

_You nodded, feeling your cheeks flush as your fingers brushed against his as you took the cup from his hand._

_“Careful. It’s hot.”_

“No kidding,”  _your traitorous brain whispered. You blew on the tiny hole on the lid, flicking your eyes up to see Steve smiling down at you. Your cheeks burned more as Steve chuckled. You motioned towards the counter, and he followed you, sipping from his coffee as he walked. You walked behind the register and sat on your stool, taking a sip and closing your eyes as you held the warm liquid in your mouth before swallowing it._

_“This is perfect.”_

_Steve smiled, looking down and bringing his coffee cup to his lips as he murmured so softly you almost didn’t hear him._

_“Yes, it is.”_

__

_“That was fun.”_

_Steve was behind you as you walked up the back steps of your house._

_“You like it out here?”_

_You glanced over your shoulder, meeting his blue eyes, then taking a look at the property behind him._

_“Sometimes it’s lonely, but then again, I am kind of a loner.”_

_Steve lifted an eyebrow and you laughed._

_“I am! I had to learn to be self-sufficient at an early age.”_   
_“Really?”_   
_“Yes. Do you want to come in? We can talk about it some more.”_

_You watched as he swallowed, glancing at the door behind you. You smiled, reaching up to tuck a piece of hair behind your ear. You stepped closer to him, speaking softly._

_“Nothing has to happen. I’ve just had a really good time with you and I’m not sure I’m ready for it to end.”_

_Steve nodded, bending his head and brushing his nose against yours, then speaking just as softly._

_“I don’t trust myself to be alone with you.”_   
_“And that’s a bad thing?”_

_Steve barked out a laugh as he leaned his head back. He lifted a hand to brush his fingers along your cheek, and you felt warmth rise in the wake of his touch._

_“I know things are different now, but in my time…”_

_You nodded, moving your hands to press against his chest._

_“Are you trying to keep my virtue intact, Captain Rogers?”_

_He groaned, looping his arms around you._

_“What if I am?”_   
_“Then that’s just something else I can add to the list.”_   
_“What list?”_

_You smiled up at him as you slid your arms up his chest to loop around his neck._

_“Things I find charming about you.”_

_Steve smiled, rolling his eyes, and you turned from him, slipping the key into the door. You dropped your keys back into your purse and turned around to face him again._

_“You’re such a good guy, Steve. I—“_

_Your words died as his arms surrounded you, lips finding yours and kissing you unmercifully. You dropped your purse as you wrapped your arms around him, holding the back of his head as his tongue coaxed yours into a slow dance that you felt in every cell in your body. His hands pressed against your back, pushing you closer to him, until you could feel his heartbeat crashing against your own._

_Far too soon for your liking, he pulled back, pressing one last gentle kiss to your lips before standing tall again. You held onto him until your legs felt steady, and you looked up to find a grin on his face._

_“You might think I’m a good guy, but I never said I was a saint, Y/N.”_

_You blinked a few times, and Steve moved his hands down your arms to give your hands a squeeze. You looked down, then met his eyes again._

_“Goodnight, Y/N.”_   
_“Good … goodnight, Steve.”_

_He smiled at you, stepping back and watching you open the door and step into your house. Once he heard the lock click, he turned and walked away._

_Meanwhile, inside, you had your back to the door, leaning against it as you slid down to the floor, staring into the distance as it hit you like a ton of bricks._

_At least eight weeks of getting to know each other, a few cups of coffee, one true date, one incredible goodnight kiss. That was all it took._

_You were in love with Steve Rogers._

__

“Hey, come on now. Open those pretty eyes.”

You moaned, trying to lift your head, but it felt  so heavy. Pain filled your senses, seeming to seep from every inch of your body. Your arms were heavy, but that was because … they were suspended above your head.

“Come on, sugar.”

That put a bad taste in your mouth. Who was saying that? You shifted, trying to get comfortable, gasping when you were slapped across the face, hard.

“What the hell, man?! Don’t break her fucking jaw.”  
“You know she’s awake. I heard the change in her breathing.”  
“How many times do I have to go over this? The sedative is tough to come out of. Not to mention the way you manhandled her all the way up here. She’s not the one we want here, remember?”

You blinked your eyes open, blinking over and over again to try and clear them, but the blurry scene in front of you made your already aching head throb. A man knelt before you, but not the scarred one you’d seen in your store. He smiled, and you felt a chill roll down your spine.

“There she is. Look alive, love.”

The scarred man laughed at the face you made.

“Blonsky. She’s disgusted with you.”

Blonsky rolled his eyes.

“And the rest of the world is disgusted with you, so I guess we’re even.”

You coughed, closing your eyes at the pain that sent through your body. You lifted your head, meeting the eyes of the scarred man.

“Why?”

Your voice was scratchy, the words coming from a dry throat. The man sighed, crossing muscled arms over his chest.

“It’s not you. You’re just …”  
“A means to an end. An unfortunate casualty.”

You closed your eyes, hanging your head. You couldn’t give up hope that Steve would come for you, but you didn’t want him walking into what you were almost certain would be a trap. You just couldn’t shake the feeling that not all of you would be making it out of this one.

“Hey, can I ask you something?”

Steve glanced up, blinking to try and ebb the memories swimming through his head, trying to ground himself in reality again. Tony was in front of him, and Steve nodded as Tony sat across from him.

“Why didn’t you tell us?”

Steve shrugged his shoulders.

“I wanted to keep her as separate from all of this as I could.”  
“I think you mean sheltered.”

Steve shook his head.

“I didn’t want her to have to deal with this. Flying on quinjets to God knows where. S.H.I.E.L.D., before everything imploded.”  
“Cap.”

Steve looked up.

“No, I’m not trying to get your attention. I’m adding to your list. You don’t want her to deal with Cap.”  
“I  _am_ Cap, Tony.”  
“Not necessarily.”

Tony stood up, pacing as he talked.

“I mean, sure. I am Iron Man. But I’m also Tony Stark. Pepper doesn’t—didn’t …”

He sighed.

“She called me Tony. Not Iron Man. We’re the same guy, but … not.”  
“Are you trying to say something about Cap being my alter ego?”  
“Yes and no. You’re one and the same, but … Cap is a role you play. He always has been, whether it’s against Nazis or Asgardians or your friendly neighborhood terrorist.”

Steve just watched him and Tony sighed as he sat back down.

“Correct me if I’m wrong. She doesn’t know when we go on missions.”

Steve was quiet, so Tony went on.

“But she deals with the aftermath of those missions?”

Steve raised an eyebrow and Tony nodded.

“She cleans you up, bandages your boo-boos?”  
“Tony.”

He smiled, holding his hands up.

“I’m just saying, it sounds like she gets it. You don’t let her see Cap, but she helps you … decompress, if you will.”

Steve nodded.

“She does.”  
“And you can just be Steve around her.”

Steve closed his eyes and nodded. Tony stepped over, gripping Steve’s shoulder.

“We’ll get her back.”

Steve swallowed, nodding as he closed his eyes.

_“Can I ask you something?”_

_Steve smiled from his place at the table, where he was sipping coffee and watching you. You had your back to him, slowly stirring a big pot on the stove. You glanced over your shoulder and he smiled._

_“Anytime you want.”_

_You rolled your eyes, but smiled. You swallowed and turned back to face the pot, letting out a breath. You tried to get your thoughts in order, jumping and giving a nervous laugh when Steve stepped up behind you, laying his hands on your hips._

_“What is it?”_

_You let out a breath._

_“Do you want to move in with me?”_

_Steve was quiet, and your heart dropped. He stepped away from you and you suddenly felt so cold without him touching you. You closed your eyes, moving to the refrigerator to pull some more ingredients out. Steve took hold of your wrist and you smiled, pulling out of his grip._

_“Forget I said anything. I’ve got to grab the cream.”_   
_“Just wait a second.”_   
_“Can you just add a cup of this to the pot? I have a-a thing I forgot about.”_   
_“Y/N, stop.”_

_You closed your eyes as he turned you to face him._

_“Look at me.”_

_You shook your head and he sighed._

_“Please look at me.”_

_You opened your eyes, hating yourself that you couldn’t stop the tears that had welled up. Steve sighed._

_“It’s not that I don’t want to.”_

_You looked away and he took hold of your face, forcing you to look at him again._

_“I’m still trying to come to grips with this world. What I’m used to, people don’t move in together. Not unless they’re married. My whole life, that’s all I’ve known. That’s the norm for me.”_

_You blinked, a tear slipping down your face that Steve caught on his thumb._

_“I just … I feel like I’m doing something wrong. I know I’m not, but … god. It’s like I’m waiting for my mom to walk in and catch me. I’m trying everything I can not to feel that way, but …”_

_He sighed and you sniffled._

_“I get it.”_

_You smiled and moved away from him, back to turn the fire down under the pot of soup you were making. You gave a shaky sigh and Steve wrapped his arms around you from behind, putting his face in your neck. You closed your eyes, lifting your head to try and make yourself stop crying._

_“I want a life with you.”_

_You opened your eyes and he went on, voice muffled from your hair._

_“I want to marry you and move into this house and cocoon the both of us away from the rest of the world.”_

_You turned to face him, and he kept his head down, shaking it as he spoke._

_“But I can’t. I can’t walk away from the Avengers. I can’t not be there if someone needs me.”_

_He lifted his head, and the breath caught in your throat when you saw the tears sparkling in his blue eyes._

_“And I can’t have even the possibility of you being in danger just because someone knows you’re mine. I hate having to sneak around and hide like we do, but … god, Y/N. I can’t risk anything happening to you. I can’t … I won’t make it.”_

_You threw your arms around him, closing your eyes as his arms snaked around your waist, pulling you to his chest. Your throat felt thick, but you forced the words out._

_“It’s okay, Steve. We’re okay.”_   
_“No, we’re not.”_

_He stepped away from you, sniffling and wiping a hand under his nose. You wiped your eyes and he put his hands on his hips._

_“Do you think I’m ashamed of you?”_   
_“What? No!”_

_You shook your head._

_“Are you … is that why you think I asked you to move in? No. Steve, I … I just want to spend all the time with you I can. And I hate it when you sneak off after I’ve fallen asleep.”_

_He shook his head and you walked to him, laying a hand on his cheek, rubbing your thumb over his five o’ clock shadow._

_“I love you.”_   
_“I can barely do anything with you. We can’t even go and get a damn cup of coffee.”_   
_“You think I care about that?”_

_Steve stepped away from you, putting his hands back on his hips. You shook your head._

_“What is it that you have a problem with?”_

_Steve shook his head._

_“Everyone out there knows me.”_   
_“So what?!”_

_He blinked at the sudden volume you put into your voice and you shook your head._

_“They don’t know you. They know of you. They know Cap. They don’t know you.”_

_He blinked again and you stepped to him, tears in your eyes as you poked your finger into his chest._

_“I know you. I know what a wonderful man you are. I know the way you think, the way you act. I know what it’s like when you wake up in the morning, what you do before you go to sleep at night.”_

_You shook your head, letting your hand fall._

_“I know that you like the taste of coffee and the smell of fresh cut grass. I know you hate zucchini, but you’ll make yourself eat it because it’s good for you. I know that your hands are big but gentle, you think you’re too sensitive, and you used to be allergic to strawberries. And … I have never had anyone look at me the way you do and I’ve never felt safe with anyone except you.”_

_He took a step towards you and you took a step back, trying to keep the distance between the two of you._

_“I don’t feel like you’re ashamed of me. You’re trying to keep me safe, and I get it. I may not understand it completely, but I don’t have to. I trust you, Steve. I know you and I love you.”_

_Your back hit the counter, and you sucked in a breath as Steve stepped into your personal space, laying his hands on the counter on either side of you, caging you in. You swallowed, meeting his eyes._

_“Those people may think they know you, but they don’t. **I** do.”_

_His head dipped and his lips found yours. You moved your hands to grip his bulging biceps, and he reached a hand back and pulled his shirt over his head._

_“You’re right. You know me, in ways no one ever has. Even Bucky doesn’t know some of the things I’ve told you.”_

_You blinked, tightening your hold on his arms._

_“Everything you’ve told me, I’ll take it to my grave, if that’s what you want.”_

_Steve’s face twisted as he moved his hands from the counter, wrapping them around you and pulling you to his warm chest. You closed your eyes and he shook his head._

_“I don’t ever want to think about losing you.”_   
_“You’ve got me right now.”_

_Steve sighed._

_“I feel like I’ve wasted so much time with you already.”_

_You shook your head._

_“It hasn’t been wasted.”_

_You leaned back until he looked at you again. You studied his face, shaking your head once more._

_“You’ve been like this ever since you got back from Sokovia. What happened there that you haven’t told me?”_

_Steve took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly._

_“I just … I saw a future. One I should have had. But it … I didn’t fit in it. I don’t fit in here.”_

_He stepped away from you, hanging his head._

_“It’s not the forties anymore. I’m trying so hard to fit into this time, but … I just don’t fit.”_

_You gave a shaky sigh, going to him and grabbing his hand, placing it over your heart._

_“You fit. You fit with me.”_

_You pulled him into your arms, closing your eyes when he buried his face in your hair._

_“You fit right here with me.”_

__

The jet slowly touched down and Steve was the first one off. He looked at the desolate land around them, eyes focusing on what appeared to be an abandoned warehouse just ahead.

He turned at the sound of footsteps behind him and watched Tony deplane, followed by Natasha and Wanda, Vision, and finally, Sam. Natasha walked up beside him, letting out a breath.

“You sure you want to do this?”

Steve glanced down at her and she smirked as she tied her fiery hair into a ponytail. Wanda, just behind her, did the same thing. Vision stepped beside Steve and scanned the warehouse.

“Top two floors are empty. There’s an underground basement—“  
“Which is exactly where Blonsky wants us. Don’t give him what he wants.”

Steve nodded at Tony’s statements. He swallowed, keeping his eyes on the warehouse as Sam stepped up. Steve pointed with two fingers.

“Post on the roof.”

Sam nodded.

“I can send Redwing in, get him to scan the entrances and exits.”  
“Do it.”

Sam pressed a few buttons on his armpiece and the small drone flew from its resting spot on the pack Sam wore on his back. Steve felt an itch between his shoulder blades, and he blew out a breath, slowly shaking his head. He turned at the soft clearing of a throat beside him, and Wanda stepped to his left, shaking her head, speaking low.

“I don’t have a good feeling about this.”

Steve swallowed, but nodded once. Natasha lifted a shoulder.

“It would be weird if you had a good feeling, you know?”

Steve let out a huff, all of them turning when Sam let out a curse.

“Redwing’s down. Or … destroyed. I don’t—“

The girls jumped when an explosion sounded, fire suddenly pouring from the side of the building. Tony reached out, but Steve had already taken off running. Tony sighed, closing his helmet, holding out his hands as he flew forward.

Steve stepped into the building, eyes scanning the room. He felt a presence behind him, a few moments before he heard Natasha’s husky voice in his ear.

“All clear.”  
“There seems to be two heat signals on the floor above us.”  
“Just two, Vision?”

There was a pause, a short break before Vision’s voice sounded again.

“I’m only picking up two. And I do believe one is Ms. Ross, Captain.”

Steve swallowed.

“Is she okay, Vision?”  
“I’m sorry, I cannot tell that from my current location.”

Steve hung his head, and Tony’s voice came through his communication earpiece.

“Goal here is to rescue Y/N. I’m sure the secretary would like us to bring Blonsky and Rumlow back alive, so …”

Steve glanced to his left as Sam walked up beside him, face turned from his communication device, speaking low enough for only Steve to hear.

“Do what you gotta do.”

Steve gave a nod, lifting a hand to touch the device in his ear.

“You all know the drill. If you get hurt, hurt ‘em back.”

He clenched his jaw to keep himself from finishing the thought, from saying what he really wanted to make sure happened to Rumlow and Blonsky. He swallowed again, glancing to Sam when Wanda’s low voice came over the comm.

“Locked door, end of the hallway, floor above you. Vision’s waiting on orders to go through the wall.”  
“Hold.”

Wanda must have nodded, and Steve started towards her, Sam on his right, Natasha behind him. Tony’s voice came through the comm again.

“I tried to check outside, but of course there are no windows, so I’m at a loss here.”  
“Stay where you are. Keep an eye out for the H–”

Steve stopped himself, glancing back at Natasha. Her cheeks went red as she stared into the distance. Sam cleared his throat, speaking low.

“The Abomination, I believe he was called.”

Steve gave a nod.

“The Abomination, then. Tony, you’re the only one with enough firepower to take him down.”  
“Captain, I’m a bit offended at your lack of faith in me.”

Steve smiled at Wanda’s soft statement.

“I apologize, Miss Maximoff.”  
“She’s got a point, Cap. I could use her.”

Steve glanced to Natasha, who gave him a nod. Steve nodded, speaking softly as he, Natasha, and Sam silently made their way up the stairs. They came upon Wanda and Vision, and Steve spoke so softly he barely made any noise at all.

“Wanda, see if you can find Tony. The two of you could definitely take care of … Blonsky.”  
“Yes, sir.”

Steve rolled his eyes, swallowing as she descended the stairs. He turned to the locked door and squared his shoulders, taking hold of the doorknob and lifting the door off its hinges. He tossed it aside, spine straightening when he heard Rumlow’s rough voice.

“All about the grandstanding, aren’t you?”

Steve turned to face him, sucking in a breath at the sight of his scarred, mangled face. Brock nodded, waving a hand in front of his face.

“Kind of takes your breath away there at first, doesn’t it?”  
“Where is she?”

Brock let out a laugh.

“Cutting right to the chase, huh?”  
“I swear to God, Rumlow.”  
“That’s not very Christian of you, Cap.”

Sam’s hand on his chest was the only thing that stopped Steve from putting his shoulder down and running until he rammed it into Brock’s torso. Sam straightened, murmuring  _“Steady”_  under his breath until Steve calmed the slightest bit. Brock bared his teeth, tilting his neck to one side, the bones giving an audible crack as he did.

“Sam Wilson. Sam motherfucking Wilson.”  
“Sorry, I don’t remember your name. What was it again?”

Brock narrowed his eyes, then tilted his head to the other side, the bones in his neck giving another audible crack.

“Two for one. This’ll be great.”

Sam went to open his mouth, closing it quickly and grunting when Brock rushed forward, each of his hands landing punches on both Steve and Sam’s faces. Sam and Steve, even double-teaming, were no match for Brock. Brock landed a kick to Steve’s chest, sending him flying backwards, and when Sam knelt beside him, Steve shook his head, blood leaking from his split lip.

“He’s enhanced.”

Sam nodded.

“Got to be.”  
“Fight fire with fire?”

Sam gave him a grin.

“Let’s call in the big dogs first.”

Before either of them could say a word, Brock’s head snapped back as Natasha was on him, effortlessly crawling up him and locking her legs around his neck, bringing him to the ground.

Steve caught her in his arms when Brock kicked, sending her flying, and Natasha coughed as Steve backed out of the room with her. He set her on the ground, kneeling beside her, watching as she coughed and sputtered and shook her head.

“You okay?”

Natasha shook her head.

“Back—corner.”

Steve’s eyebrows furrowed as he looked at her. She shook her head again, wincing as she held a hand to her chest. She spoke again, the words coming rushed, yet spaced out, due to the wind being kicked out of her.

“The back wall … doesn’t … match the rest … of the … the room.”

Steve let the words register and he leaned closer.

“You think it’s a facade?”

Natasha shrugged her shoulders, coughing again.

“I think … she’s back there.”

Steve nodded as he clenched his jaw. He stood up, walking when Natasha waved him on, jogging back into the room and immediately diving into hand-to-hand combat with Brock. Sam was wincing on the ground, trying to push himself back into a standing position, but Steve could see an obvious deformity just under his elbow. Steve ducked, jamming his fists into Brock’s torso, leaning back when Brock let out a laugh and stepped around him.

“Is that all you’ve got, Captain?”

Brock spit out the title, and Steve ground his teeth together before he straightened his spine. He brought his fists up by his face and sneered at Brock.

“I can do this all day.”

Brock let out a yell and ran forward, landing blow after blow on Steve. Steve did the best he could to block the punches, but Brock was relentless. Steve landed a few punches of his own, but Brock wasn’t phased. The only respite came when Brock finagled Steve’s legs out from under him, making him land hard on his back. Steve stared up at the ceiling, letting his head roll to the side to see Sam sitting with his back against the wall, chest heaving. Natasha was nowhere to be seen, and Steve couldn’t even account for Tony, Wanda, or Vision. He let out a shaky breath, moaning as he rolled to one side, wincing as he pushed himself up, at the burning pain that filled his chest, what he could only imagine was his broken ribs trying to repair themselves. He shakily got to his feet and Brock rolled his eyes.

“I’ve had enough of this. Haven’t you?”

Steve shook his head.

“I told you. I could … do this all day.”

Brock let out a laugh.

“Maybe so. But can she?”

Steve’s eyes widened as Brock walked to the back corner of the room, to the space Natasha had noticed early on. Brock kicked the wall and it crumbled, and Steve watched as two men stepped through the dust and plaster, carrying every piece of Steve’s heart between them.

As Steve gave a broken scream, Sam jumped up, gritting his teeth against the pain in his broken arm, his chest, and his legs, grabbing hold of one side of Steve. Natasha held the other side, and Sam would swear it was only by the soft touch of her hand to his cheek that Steve stopped dragging them across the floor in his attempt to make his way across the room. Brock grabbed the girl the men held between them, and the moan she gave when he grabbed a handful of her hair sent a shock of relief through Sam’s body. She was bleeding, limp, bruised … but alive.

“Easy. Take it easy.”  
“Y/N—“  
“Easy.”

Natasha’s low voice kept up a steady murmur, a bit of white noise to block out the screaming of Steve’s heart. Brock gave a laugh, lifting Y/N’s bruised and battered face.

“Every punch you threw, she felt. Did … did I forget to mention that?”

Brock gave another laugh, and Sam planted his feet in an effort to hold Steve back.

“You’re dead, Rumlow. You hear me?!”

Brock rolled his eyes, turning and punching your torso. You cried out, head falling forward when Brock dropped your hair from his fist. Brock nodded to the two men holding you up, and they started to move back.

The one on the left, then the right fell forward, knocked out—or worse—thanks to a blast from Tony’s—well, Iron Man’s—hands through the collapsed wall. You crumpled between them, but Brock caught you before you hit the floor. Brock shook his head, disgust evident on his scarred face as he looked to the trio in front of him.

“I guess they were right, huh? If you want something done right, do it yourself.”

He moved you to stand in front of him, one arm around your torso holding you upright against him. He moved his other hand to grasp your chin, forcing your head up.

“Come on, now sweetheart. Open those pretty eyes for me.”  
“Rumlow, I swear to God—“  
“Ah, I don’t think so.”

You screamed as Brock’s hand gripped your arm, his grip tightening until everyone in the room heard your bone crack.

“Stop! Stop. God, please, just stop.”

Steve wrenched himself free from Natasha and Sam’s holds and he held a hand to his chest.

“Take me. Do whatever you want. Just let her go.”  
“No.”

Steve went still at your soft voice, and his eyes locked on yours, bloodshot and bruising, yet still the most beautiful eyes he’d ever seen. A soft smile came to his face as tears filled his eyes.

“Hey, you.”  
“Good God, Rogers. She’s ruined you.”  
“Let her go.  _Now_.”

Brock let out a laugh.

“See, here’s the thing.”

He moved his hand to your throat, your eyes widening as his grip tightened little by little.

“Very soon, and I mean very, very soon, Stark and the others will discover that the Abomination has a kill switch. A, uh … suicide gene, if you will. And by that, I mean—“

Your knees buckled as the entire building shook, plaster and dust falling from the ceiling, a dark grin on Brock’s face. The fire from the bomb the Abomination had strapped to him roared outside, and Natasha’s hand flew to her ear.

“Tony? Tony, do you copy?”

She met Sam’s eyes, shaking her head.

“Wanda? Vision? Anybody, talk to me.”

When she got no response, Brock sighed.

“Damn shame. Anyway, back to this.”

You gasped as his hand tightened around your throat. Steve took a step forward and Brock stepped back, shaking his head.

“Don’t come any closer, or I swear to God, I’ll snap her neck. Neither one of us wants that, so just stand down, Cap.”

Steve clenched his jaw, but nodded, taking a step backwards. Natasha and Sam began slowly making their way around the room, and Brock sighed.

“Call your dogs off, will you? Either one of them takes another step and I’ll toss her out the window.”

Steve held up a hand and Natasha and Sam slowly walked back to their places by the door. Brock shook his head, glancing out the window that had been hidden by the false wall that you’d been held behind, watching the fire rage through the snow.

“I lost everything because of you. Everything we’d worked so hard for. We infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. without anybody noticing. We brought them down, and for a moment, we were on top of the world. And then, all of that was gone. Thanks to you.”

You gasped again, feet leaving the floor as Brock lifted you up by your neck. You stared at Steve, shaking your head, praying he’d stay back. You didn’t want to die, but you couldn’t see any other way this would end. Steve stared at you, tears in his blue eyes and you tried to smile at him. You knew your face had to be turning red as hard as it was to breathe, and black spots were dancing in your vision.

That’s why you didn’t trust it when you thought you saw something glowing red through the far window above the staircase, way behind Steve.

You met Steve’s eyes again and moved your mouth, hoping he could understand you.

_It’s okay. I love you._

He shook his head, reaching a hand for you, and that’s when everything gave way to chaos.

Tony burst through the shattered wall, hitting Brock with a blast to his back that sent him jolting forward. He kept hold of you, yelling when a glowing red ball of fire hit his side. You turned your head in time to see Steve reach behind him, and that was the moment time seemed to stop.

It all happened in the same second. There was no avoiding it. Brock pushed you forward at the same time Steve grabbed his shield. Brock stumbled behind you and hit the ground hard, screaming as Wanda enveloped him in glowing red ropes. Vision hovered over him, knocking him out through the stone in his forehead. Natasha turned at the same time Sam did, as Tony’s feet landed on the ground, as Wanda and Vision lifted their heads from where they were holding Brock.

“Oh god.”

Natasha’s low, terrified voice broke through the sudden, piercing silence, Steve’s eyes widening when you came into his vision.

“No.”

You stood there, frozen to the ground. Your hands held onto Steve’s shield, the one he’d thrown at Brock with all of his strength, but when Brock had pushed you forward, you caught the brunt of the blow instead. You opened your mouth, wanting to say something, anything, but unable to as blood poured from your lips.

It was funny; you knew you should be feeling pain—an enormous amount of pain—but you weren’t. You lifted your eyes, locking onto Steve’s, seeing the horrified look on his face. You wanted to smile at him, to tell him everything was okay, even though it was so very not. Instead, you just stared at him as blackness began darkening the edges of the room you could see, giving way to tunnel vision, until there was nothing.


End file.
